Lists of Annual House Incomes
The Junkers (or Niederer Adel) & Hochadel (High Nobility) were members of the landed nobility in Prussia. They owned great estates that were maintained and worked by peasants with few rights. These estates often stood in the countryside outside of major cities or towns. They were an important factor in Prussia and, after 1871, in German military, political and diplomatic leadership. The most famous Junker was Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Bismark held power in Germany from 1862 to 1890 not as an emperor or president, but only as a parliamentary minister. He was removed from power by Kaiser Wilhelm. Junker is derived from Middle High German Juncherre, meaning "young nobleman" or otherwise "young lord" (derivation of Jung and Herr), and originally was the title of members of the higher edelfrei (immediate) nobility without or before the accolade. A good number of poorer Junkers took up careers as soldiers (Fahnenjunker), mercenaries, and officials (Hofjunker, Kammerjunker) at the court of territorial princes in Germany and much of Western and Southern Europe. Over the centuries, they had become influential commanders and landowners, especially in the lands east of the Elbe River, most infamously within Prussia. As landed aristocrats, the Junkers ''owned most of the arable land in Prussia. Being the bulwark of the ruling ''House of Hohenzollern, the Junkers controlled the Prussian Army, leading in political influence and social status, and owning immense estates, especially in the north-eastern half of Germany (i.e. the Prussian provinces of Brandenburg, Pomerania, Silesia, West Prussia, East Prussia and Posen). This was in contrast to the predominantly Catholic southern states such as the kingdoms of Bavaria or the Margraviate (later Grand Duchy) of Baden, where land was owned by small farms, or the mixed agriculture of the western states like the Landgraviates (later unified as the Grand Duchy) of Hesse or even the Prussian Rhine and Westphalian provinces. Acquiring Wealth The Nobility of Prussia makes their income from the land held by their family as mentioned above. This usually comes in the form of agriculture. Members of the nobility own large plots of farmland, from which wheat, fruits, vegetables, and pastures from which meat, dairy products, and eggs might be collected and sold at markets or contracted to overseas merchants. The money made by the peasantry is given in portions to the local nobility or paid in taxes. to a magistrate This is because the peasantry works the land for the nobility, thus making a portion of the money themselves for labour. In addition to agriculture, one might possess mining area for stone, coals, and metals (ideally in the west of the Kingdom, in Westphalia, the Rhein or Cleves and La Mark). Forges may also be operated, as with windmills, and other means to process raw goods (wineries are a common and popular example). A noble may also own vast merchant fleets of which can be of considerable profit, depending their tax returns from each succesful convoy's voyage. Trade connections through the New World, Africa, the Chinese Coast, and the southern island of Japan often prove fruitful in such endeavours. However, in accordance with noble duties and gentleman-like gantries, most of the higher nobility are discouraged from focusing their incomes and status on commercial enterprises which may cause dérogeance, the loss of nobility. Nobles and Junkers of well-off standing can earn up to 100,000-150,000 Thalers, or even Friedrich d'Or per annum from their lands, however, some of the more prestigious families could triple such an income or create entire fortunes. Despite this, the lesser Junker families could possibly only obtain an annual income of 10,000 Friedrich d'Or. (For modern conversion 1 Friedrich d'Or = £837.80/$1,180 USD. 1 Thaler = £30.90/$39.86 USD.) Annual Incomes per Household The incomes listed in the following table are organized by those incomes earned from the land hetelsbachld, while paid comes are those given for holding an office or position within the state of each family. As well, the coupled income paid from the peasants and citizens of the family's territories and any possible clerical incomes if their family has members who are in Prussia's clergy. All the mentioned factors are coupled to provide the total income. Section Note: All income statements are in Thalers Houses of State Houses of Landed Peerage Category:Articles Related to the Kingdom Category:Imperial State Archives Category:Lists